Mr. Trump and top members of his administration initially justified the operation as a punishment for Syria’s violating the ban on chemical weapons and an attempt at deterrence. But they did not make clear whether that was a legal argument or just a policy rationale.

The strike raises two sets of legal issues. One involves international law and when it is lawful for any nation to attack another. The other involves domestic law and who gets to decide — the president or Congress — whether the United States should attack another country.

Did Trump have clear authority under international law to attack Syria?

No. The United Nations Charter, a treaty the United States has ratified, recognizes two justifications for using force on another country’s soil without its consent: the permission of the Security Council or a self-defense claim. In the case of Syria, the United Nations did not approve the strike, and the Defense Department justified it as “intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again,” which is not self-defense. " NY Times

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IMO it is very clear that the order for the strike on Shaykat air base in Syria was illegal in both international and US law. The Democrats have been searching for grounds for impeachment. Is commission of a criminal act using the powers of his office not an impeachable offense? pl

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I wouldn't count on Dem's calling for impeachment over this. Apparently Washington DC, both Dem and GOP (except for Rand Paul), were thrilled with Trump's manly display of muscle in Syria. He's probably still basking in the afterglow.

I am not aware that any U.S. president was ever impeached for starting an illegal war. The Democrats are falling over each other in lauding Trump for his stupid decision. Well, at least he got the RussiaGate nonsense off his back - for now.
The neocons and hawks will now demand more strikes and finally regime change in favor of the Takfiris. Al-Qaeda via the MIT and/or the CIA will provide for more "chemical attacks" to give justification to whatever/whenever is needed.

Trump likely lost his chance for reelection with this stunt. His base is no gone. He should have listened to his strategist, not to the neoconned NSC that was pushed onto him.

Yep. Dem's are all in. Not allowing snowflakes to use whatever bathroom validates them? Impeachment grounds for sure. Illegal strikes at Isreal's direction? Bad ass, welcome to the club, lets have a parade!

Trump is taking his legal justification straight from the Obama book! Those who placed their hopes (or any hopes, for that matter
) on a Trump presidency are now scrambling to rationalize their utter delusions. It would be a joke if it wasn’t so serious. Would Col. Lang now really like to see this man impeached (IMO the best option, although entirely unrealistic)? I’m honestly flabbergasted. You promoted him, so you own him, for better or worse. But please don’t play such games.

Trump was tricked into attacking Syria, probably with the promise that the "borg" (or deep state, or whatever) would go easy on him as a reward. Now they got him where they wanted him, and are going to impeach him. Some similarity to JFK being tricked into the hopeless Bay-of-pigs operation. Sound plausible?

First; why would the Democrat Party want to deal with a President Pence? Wouldn't he be a more canny and effective opponent to them? The next in line is Paul Ryan, Right? Hah!
Second; an impeachment would open a real can of worms domestically. This isn't any run of the mill b--- job case. A real struggle for dominance in foreign policy is probable, with the spectre of the awakening of America's Isolationist tendency among it's population haunting the scene. The Borg has constructed a case for American Exceptionalism. Impeaching Trump on a case based upon the antithesis of American Exceptionalism would be "shoot yourself in the foot" level of bungling.
Third; even though, as Truman signaled, "The buck stops here," the mechanism of influence that convinced Trump to order the strike is of great importance. Who said what and when is crucial to predicting the future of this dangerous game we have all been "invited" to.
Thanks for your indulgence.

The Democrats have been searching for grounds for impeachment. Is commission of a criminal act using the powers of his office not an impeachable offense? pl

I may not have quite grasped the impeachment heat here on SST to the extend I should, and thus couldn't connect to (Gaius) Publius Tacitus. Harper? (not sure?) Maybe? The expat US expat impeachment representatives in German political talk shows felt a bit lost in the debate wilderness over here.

A standard method of troll attack is to misquote someone and then comment on the false narrative. I did not support Trump for election. I did not give him money for his campaign. Nor did I vote for him or Pence. I revere the constitutional order in the US. It is the basis of our lives. Trump was legitimately elected president of the Unite States. The importance of a devotion to the original text and virtue of the Constitution of the United States may not be apparent to someone from another country where things like constitutions come and go or are not even written documents as in the UK and Israel, but the Constitution of the United States is what holds the country together. To seek to unconstitutionally remove a president from office is for me and many other Americans the worst possible civic "sin." You say that I have "promoted" Trump. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I accept his legally exercised authority as president/CinC so long as he legally holds office. The question I raise in this post is whether or not he has violated the terms of his oath of office and provided his opponents grounds for constitutional action against him IMO, he has. Whether or not I will begin to agitate against him is a question I have not yet answered for myself. pl

I agree that he has largely destroyed himself politically. This will become evident as time passes. He was easily trapped by the neocons. His ego and ignorance were his undoing. "I am not aware that any U.S. president was ever impeached for starting an illegal war" I am curious as to which US wars were illegal from your POV. pl

Legal Authority is for lawyers to discuss as that is all they are good for, maybe too harsh. This was a CW event with innocents being harmed. Does not matter whose chemicals were involved or whose bomb was dropped by whose plane or who hyped the filmed event it happened in Syria and Syria is responsible for this long lasting internal war. Thus rather than procrastinating over who, what and where Syria was slapped which actually was a very minor slap but a very significant one. Thus they should beware as the next slap will be a proportionately larger one.
Impeachment seems to get dragged out way too often with this very young presidency and I'm sure it will be a discussed constantly over the next four years but this guy thrives in chaos and knows how to turn the tables quite quickly. Just look at them jackals screaming for his head a few days ago are now praising him.
So what was achieved with this slap. The Chinese now understand the mans capability, the Russia thing has been turned on its head, the Dems are on their rear end, Putin is now re-thinking Syria and ISIS knows they are next. But that is this weekend who knows what happens next.

Get ready for more of this.
Trump operates from "gut" or instinct.
Sometimes that looks brilliant, most of the time, it's dangerous.
In the real estate business or reality TV, it's only about money.
Now, it's about lives.
Obama was so far the other way that decisions were not made or obfuscated.
Is there someone - not driven by ideology or the "gut" - out there?
You know, an adult.

So, basically, you are a social Darwinist who has no time for the rule of law at all. Teddy Roosevelt walks the earth again, eh? "Pedicaris alive or Raisuli dead!" The Russians are re-thinking Syria? How do you know that? pl

One of the things that I think have gone someone unnoticed is that Trump was meeting with Xi down in Florida when the attack was launched. It is my understanding that nothing came out of this erstwhile "Summit".

But I think that Xi probably took home lessons about Trump. Being able to observe directly the demeanor and the actions of a potential opponent during a "crisis" provides same damn fine "tells".

China has consistently backed Russia on Syria in the Security Council. They know that this action is contrary to international law. It also tells them just how low the bar is to military action is here in the US. It also tells them that the standard of evidence for that use is even more so.

China and Russia have been making nice lately. Russia opening a branch of it's central bank in Beijing and the ongoing work on the New Silk road make me think that there is a lot of common interests.

This premature and poorly thought out attack on what Russia considers part and parcel of its national interests, and Xi's front row seat at the spectacle may push them even further down the path to what may prove to end up a military alliance.

I admire your confidence that there will be historians or a future to document what is coming to a head at the moment,

when the President of a country, that has a military budget equal to the combined budgets of the next seven biggest spenders on the planet, spits out his dummy because he didn't like the latest 'video nasty' from the White Helmets and flings $100 million in ordinance at a foriegn country without even considering legality, I kinda sit up and take notice,

call me a pussy if you like, but aren't we watching people play 'Russian Roulette' with the future of the planet?

Teddy was well rounded and had substance this guy lacks both. The dig(s) were not charitable. We now know how this guy will react to North Korea which breaks anything legal ever written. It concerns me that Rex seems to have written off Diplomacy and the military is moving NW into that theater. Hopefully the Chinese leader understands the ramifications and has some ability to control that situation.
I did vote for the man and still support him as the alternative was unthinkable.

He knows that, Colonel, because he has been told by the Washington groupthink that if we pressure Putin he will back down. 59 cruise missiles is certainly pressure, right, so Putin is certainly backing down and will run like a rabbit. Actually, he will pass rabbits on his way out of Syria. He will leave them in his wake, panting their little lungs out.